A Journey Never Forgotten
by Sweet Light
Summary: A simple mission may not be as simple as it may seem. And what was the dream trying to tell her? Something is amiss here and Rinoa is set to find out the truth together with the help of her friends. Along the way, something unexpected happens...
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Journey Never Forgotten

Author: Sweet Light

Rating: Pg-13

A simple mission may not be as simple as it may seem. And what was the dream trying to tell her? Something is amiss here and Rinoa is set to find out the truth together with the help of her friends. Along the way, something unexpected happens.

* * *

Rinoa gazed out over the hall, catching her breath, as a ray of sunlight streamed through a window to illuminate a stack of undyed silk as high as her head. She turned to the tall boy who stood beside her. "Squall! It's beautiful."

"They always are." He nodded as he looked around the hall, obviously noting the merchants who came to collect the silk. She followed his gaze to a cluster of men in shimmering white cloaks, garments that collected the brilliant summer sunlight and cast it back in jeweled glints.

"Come on. We promised to meet them. And then there's the ceremony…" Rinoa pulled at his sleeve lightly, indicating him to follow her.

"Where're Selphie, Zell and Irvine?" Rinoa wondered aloud, receiving a shrug from Squall. They were supposed to meet them at their usual meeting place but from the looks of it, they were late. Another fifteen minutes had pass but they still hadn't arrive. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Squall was getting impatient.

"Maybe they had something up and couldn't contact us." Rinoa suggested. "I guess…it's okay if we were to go and see the results without them." She gave him a small smile. "Whatever."

"Rinoa, Squall, how nice to see you." Quistis smiled at them as they met each other on their way to see the results. "Bet you're here to cheer Selphie and Zell on, right?"

"Yeah, we are." Rinoa answered, feeling slightly nervous for her friends.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she did fine." Quistis winked at her before walking to wherever she needed to go.

When they had arrived at the notice board, they saw three familiar figures. "Hey guys." Rinoa greeted. By the looks of their faces, they don't need a psychic to tell them what had happened. "Let me guess." She pretended to concentrate, waving her finger at them. "I see something. Something that we should feel happy and proud of. And I see Zell and Selphie passing their SeeD entrance exam." She opened her eyes slightly, grinning at them. "Well, did it work?"

Selphie giggled and leaped at Rinoa, hugging her tightly.

"I passed! I passed!" She jumped up and down, stopping only when Irvine kissed her cheek lovingly.

"Amazing, isn't she?"

"Hello…? What 'bout me?" Somebody gonna give me a hug?" Zell said, waving at them.

"Zell, you're wonderful, honestly." Rinoa hugged him, turning his frown into a smile. "I had a feeling you were going to be one of those students who stood out. I mean, you're a martial arts specialists! Who wouldn't want you in their missions?" She encouraged.

"Don't inflate his ego more than you have." Irvine smirked. Zell chose to ignore him. Squall, who had been silent throughout the whole exchange, spoke up.

"Don't forget about the ceremony tonight." He reminded them and walked off.

"Welcome to the Graduation Ceremony of Balamb Garden. Congratulations to all of you out there who have succeeded in becoming a SeeD and not forgetting those who are already one. The night is still young, ladies and gentlemen. Let's party!" The host yelled into the microphone as everybody cheered, joining their partners on the dance floor as the music played.

"And you got worried for nothing." Irvine teased. "What's wrong?" He had noticed that Selphie had not been as talkative as she used to be. "You're worried you won't make a good enough SeeD, right?" He laughed, pulling her into a hug. "Don't be silly, silly! Haven't I told you that you're amazing? You can do anything."

"Really?" She smiled hopefully. She grinned cutely when he took off his hat and laid it on her head. "One heck of a cowboy girl, that's what you are."

Not to faraway, Squall noticed that Rinoa had been staring out of the same window for ages. "You look nice." He said softly, making her jump.

"Huh? Oh. Thanks." She smiled but he could tell it was forced.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" she gave him a confused look.

"What's bothering you."

"It's nothing." She turned away to look out of the window again.

"Dude!" A drunken man accidentally fell against Squall, making him bump into Rinoa. "We are so sorry for the inconvenience caused." One of the drunken man's friends apologized, as they dragged him away from the ballroom. Squall scowled at them.

"Forget about it, Squall. It was an accident. You want me to talk about whatever's bothering me, right?" He continued to look at her. "Dance with me?" she was stating it rather than asking him.

"I don't know how to dance." He answered simply. She nodded slightly and walked away.

"It's okay. I can always ask someone else." When he noticed that she was walking towards the direction of another guy, he stopped her. She looked down at the hand that was gripping her arm tightly, then at his face.

"Dance with me?" Guys should always be the one asking, not girls. For the first time that night, she smiled a true smile. It wasn't as awkward as he thought it'd be. It was a rather comfortable silence between them.

She stared up at his face, studying every line and crease. She loved the way his russet bangs fell messily over his misty azure eyes. Unconsciously, she traced an elegant finger over the scar. He didn't move away but kept on staring at her. Her finger lingered over the scar for a while longer and continued to trace the outline of his jaw. She could sense that he was leaning closer to her and she did the same. Just as their lips were about to touch, the sound of fireworks suddenly brought them out of their trance. Both of them looked at the fireworks, which cast a green glow throughout the whole room.

He returned his attention to her when he heard her gasp softly. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "It's nothing Squall. They're just so…bright and pretty. Like stars…" She trailed off, clasping her hands together and then shutting her eyes tightly. When she opened them up again, she noticed Squall giving her a curious look. "I was making a wish."

"They say that when you see a shooting star, make a wish and it'd come true." She smiled sheepishly, waving her hand at the fireworks. "I know they're not shooting stars but if you think of them that way, then maybe it'd be the same thing. Hopefully." She giggled.

"Whatever." He muttered under his breath.

"I hope all of you are enjoying yourselves tonight." Both of them turned around to look at the source of the voice.

"Headmaster Cid! Instructor Quistis!" Rinoa exclaimed happily.

"Please Miss Heartilly. Call me Cid." Rinoa laughed.

"Only if you call me Rinoa. Forget the formalities."

"Yeah, me to. Love to stay, really. But somebody's got to control Zell from finishing off the hotdogs." Quistis pointed to the buffet table.

"Oh…I'll go."

"No. You stay here. I will go." Quistis insisted, stopping Rinoa.

"Finally, the moment that we have been waiting for. The Guests Of Honor has arrived! Let us put our hands together and give a warm welcome to General Caraway and the Mayor!"

"Dear students from Balamb Garden." The Mayor started. "As many others who have congratulated you before, I just wanted to say it one last time. From me, and on behalf of General Caraway. Congratulations." He passed the microphone to the General.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure most of you here are having a wonderful time. I'm happy to say that this year, the percentage of those who have passed their SeeD exam has increased." He waited for the clapping to die down before continuing. "For those who have become a member of SeeD, I'm sure you know what is to be expected from you. To go on missions, protect Balamb Garden from enemies and so on. Take it as a challenge, something that you've always wanted to do. Put your passion into your missions and you will succeed. Always," he paused for the effect. "Always take care of your fellow men. Teamwork is the most important thing for a successful mission other than skills and strategies."

"He's right ya' know," Zell said, reaching for the last piece of hotdog when Quistis smacked him on the arm. He made several attempts to reach it, but it was futile. Admitting defeat, he resorted to teasing Selphie. "Other than some kickin'-ass hoochie mama and Squall fightin' power we gotta great teamwork here in SeeD."

'Yeah, well, I'm glad that 'hoochie mama' got your ass out of difficult situations many a times." Selphie retorted, glaring at him.

"Cut it out, you two." Irvine scolded.

"You are the Commander of SeeD, correct?" Rinoa turned around when she heard the familiar voice. General Caraway shook hands with Squall, who only nodded in return. "You must be one hell of a good fighter. I see potential in you, boy. No wonder Cid thinks highly of you." He patted Squall on the shoulder, making Rinoa roll her eyes.

Caraway glanced at her, missing the part where she rolled her eyes. "And you must be Rinoa…" He emphasized her name, making Rinoa cringe. She set her lips in a thin line, refusing to look him in the eye. "Caraway." He finished. She looked at him in anger. He had just revealed who she really was. Here she was trying to forget her past life and he's ruining it all for her.

"Heartilly. My name is Rinoa Heartilly." She said stubbornly.

"Don't live in the past, Rinoa. That's your mother's maiden name. You and I know she's never coming back." He reached over to touch her cheek but she slapped it away.

"Don't go around pretending that you care." She seethed. Caraway's expression hardened, both of them now oblivious to the fact that Squall was present.

"You're my daughter. As a father, of course I'd care." Rinoa laughed bitterly.

"Father? You're not my father. A father does not treat her daughter like some military soldier. A father does not neglect his daughter nor should he blame her for his wife's death." Caraway clenched his fists, trying to keep his temper in control.

"I never blamed you for her death."

"Really?" Droplets of crystals had begun to make their way down her rosy cheeks. "Save it for someone who cares, General." She ran away from the ballroom, going as fast as her legs could carry her.

In the end, she found herself at the fountain in the middle of the garden. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, noting how similar she looked to her mother.

"Why did you lie to me?" A voice behind her suddenly said.

Quickly wiping away a stray tear, she looked up. "Squall, you…you were there…"

"I didn't want to live a life where I couldn't make my own decisions. So I ran away from home. Changed my surname…stopped singing and making albums. I went here because I knew I could trust Cid."

"You're not telling me the whole truth." He said calmly. Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "You're a sorceress."

"So you already know. Who told you? Selphie?" He watched her face change from anger to one of desperation.

"If you already know all this, if everyone in this whole damn world knows this, then why are we even having this conversation?!" She demanded, her voice on the verge of yelling. Rinoa watched his emotionless face intently. "What are you thinking, Squall? You don't have an answer for that, do you?"

After a long pause, he finally answered. "No." Squall swallowed hard. Why is it that this girl always manages to make him feel like an idiot?

"If not, then I'll be going back to my room now." He held out an arm in front of her, stopping her from going anywhere.

"You do know what SeeD stands for." He looked into her eyes. "So why are you here?" His softened gaze met with her challenged ones.

"Kill me if you want to. As long as nobody knows, I don't care." Rinoa pushed his arm away, walking away from the area with quickened steps.

"Ah…Commander of Balamb Garden. It is an honor to meet you." General Caraway suddenly stood in his line of vision, sticking out his hand. Squall accepted the handshake, his mind still reeling a bit from what had just happened a few minutes ago.

"What brings you out here, Commander?" Squall took a good look at the General, noticing the slight similarities between him and Rinoa. He shrugged his shoulders and simply said, "Air."

"Of course. It was getting a bit crowded in the ballroom, isn't it?" Caraway stuck his hands inside his pants pockets. "Don't mind me asking but have you seen Rinoa? You know, my daughter?" Squall thought carefully before finally saying no.

Before Caraway could say anything, Selphie rushed into the garden, Irvine trailing behind her.

"Squall? Have you seen Rinoa? I saw her going this…General!" Selphie was about to say where she saw Rinoa heading off to when she saw Caraway. "I didn't notice you there for a second."

"So you didn't." He took a good look at her. "You are Selphie, am I correct? Rinoa mentioned something about you before." She did a mock salute and shook hands with him.

"Selphie Tillmit at your service, sir!"

He chuckled and then glanced at Irvine. "And you are?"

"The name's Irvine, sir."

"Irvine. Yes. Now I remember you. You're that boy from Galbadia."

"That's right, sir. It's a coincidence I got to meet Rinoa again after all this time."

"Indeed." Caraway looked back at Selphie. "I recall you mentioning something about Rinoa when you arrived here."

"That? Oh, what I said was that uh…I thought I saw Rinoa going out of the ballroom. Which she uh…did. As all of you already know." She stammered. Selphie held her breath, feeling uneasy by the moment as his gaze kept lingering at her as if deep in thought.

"Well then, I shall leave you three alone." With one sweep of his heavy looking cloak, he exited the garden with quick and formal steps.

"Okay," Irvine formed an o with his mouth. "What was that about?"

"I have no idea." Selphie admitted. She turned to Squall. "Look, you know that I know that you know where she is. Come on, spit it out now." She demanded. He cocked an eyebrow at her. When he realized that she wasn't going to stop the glaring contest, he sighed.

"Her room." She nodded and left to check up on Rinoa, leaving the two boys together.

"So," Irvine hung one of his arms around Squall's shoulder. "What say you, and me, go check up on some girls ourselves?"

"Rinoa?" Selphie called out. She knocked on her door, waiting for a reply when the door suddenly opened. She must have forgotten to close it properly, she wondered.

Looking around, she noticed a figure at the balcony. She went over and sat down next to her best friend. Rinoa had this content yet disturbed look on her face. "Rinoa, I'm so glad you're okay." She heaved a sigh of relief.

"The stars really are pretty, like fireworks." Rinoa said, her voice trance-like.

"Everyone's worried about you." Selphie said.

"As expected." She turned to look at Selphie. "Have you come to watch the stars with me?" Selphie scratched her head, thinking of an answer but in the end, didn't have one.

"Uh…not exactly." So they sat there in silence for quite a long time before she spoke up again. "Look Rinoa, I need to go now. But if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to go." She took her Rinoa's hand and squeezed it gently. "Get some sleep, alright? Take care of yourself."

Rinoa smiled, squeezing back gently. "I will. Thank you."

There she was again. The same old place, the same serene feeling. Why? Why did she keep going back here? What part of this particular memory was so important? She looked, staring in awe at how beautiful the sky looked like at this time of the day.

"Actually," she paused thoughtfully to herself. "No matter what time of the day is, the sky always looked beautiful." She giggled but looked back up again when she suddenly noticed a butterfly sucking nectar out of a flower. She slowly approached it, scaring the butterfly away. Her fingers softly caress the flower's petals, taking in its silky texture. And then, just as she was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the unknown place, she was suddenly transported to another place. It was a huge vast of dried grass and the air was stale with a hint of decaying substances. A huge contrast to the greenery she was experiencing before this. She looked around her, noticing the many decaying corpse that were lying around.

"It hurts so much. You feel the pain, too? It's always been the same. Always. Never ending. Dying, always dying but never able to rest in peace…"

She looked up to see whom the voice belonged to. A shrouded shadow stood across a great rift, looking miserable and lost. From the distance, she could not make out what the person looked like underneath the shroud, though the voice lead her to believe it was a woman.

"Who are you?" she asked, frowning as she stepped closer to the edge of the rift.

"Do not come closer. You will fall. Fall forever. Fall into the pain. Fall into death."

"What do you want?" she heard herself ask, but the shroud was beginning to fade.

"Help us…"

It disappeared silently and left only a shapeless shadow. A single feather drifted around in and endless circle, wobbling and looking as if it were just about to wink out of sight.

"What's going on?"

"Rinoa…"

She turned, and gasped. Though half-faded, the person was easy to recognize.

"Mother!"

"_Rinoa…all is not yet right. You must help them, before the insanity grows too far and the whole world is infected. Rinoa, you must do this. You must help them."_

"Help them? I don't understand? What's going on?"

"_I cannot help you, for I am gone. All I can do is tell you that you must stop it."_

"Mother…is this just a dream?"

Julia was silent for a moment, and then smiled slightly. _"I love you, Rinoa. I am sorry I couldn't be there for you. You've made me proud, and I am happy you have found_ _your way at last. Take care, Rinoa…"_ As soon as the words ended, she began to fade, and Rinoa found herself running towards her.

"Mother! Please don't leave! Mother!" But as she reached the vision, it had disappeared, and she found herself at the edge of the cliff. Unaware of how close she was to the edge, the smooth heel of her feet slid against the wet moss. Panic-stricken, she cried out in surprise and flailed her arms desperately for balance. Her shrill scream echoed loudly in her ears as she fell backwards over the stony cliff. She dropped faster, over the abrasive rocks, carelessly scraping her skin on the way down.

She suddenly woke up, gasping for breath as cold beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. She shook her head and squinted her eyes at the figure in front of her to try to get her blurry vision to focus. "Squall…?" She guessed.

The figure nodded his head. Finally, her vision was back to normal and she could see Squall's cerulean eyes staring at her. "What are you doing here?" She asked feeling confused.

"You were screaming." He said. Looking down at her hands, he noticed they were trembling. Squall squeezed her hands softly, trying to calm her nerves down. She stared at their joined hands as if any type of intentional physical contact from him was completely foreign.

"You alright?" He suddenly asked. "What?" she asked as she was broken from her thoughts.

"Nightmare?" He asked again. She looked down, trying hard to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. She checked herself, satisfied that there were no cuts or bruises.

"Yeah…but I'm…alright now…" Squall frowned, not quite believing her.

"You said I was screaming. It must be quite loud then, considering my room is far away from yours." She mused. "Others must have heard it too."

"They didn't." Rinoa looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

I was the only one who heard it. I had a vision of you falling, screaming, he thought.

"I was passing by your room at that time." He lied.

She sighed. "Oh…you couldn't sleep then." She moved to the other side of the bed and patted the empty space. "Come here." Squall stood there awkwardly before finally deciding to climb onto the bed and sit next to her.

"With you here with me, I'm sure the nightmare won't dare to come back. I'll be able to sleep peacefully." Rinoa sunk into the pillows and gripped his hand tightly. "I don't know what's going to happen in the future, Squall. All I know is that I have a feeling something bad is going to happen." She paused, remembering the dream she had moments ago. "You do know what I am referring to, right?" Rinoa looked at him.

"The dream?" He guessed. Rinoa nodded her head.

"One moment, I was at a field full of flowers and butterflies and the next I'm at a barren wasteland with lots of corpses around. There was this voice telling me about pain and suffering…and death. I don't know. I never got to see that person's face. And then…my mom appeared. She told me that I have to stop them. Before the insanity grows too far and the world is infected. I had no idea what she was talking about but she said I must help them…" She trailed off. Squall leaned back against the headrest, pondering about what she had just said. He was about to ask her something when he heard her sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Squall. You must think, that I'm weak." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "But…whenever I think back, I just…missed her so much." She choked. "She told me that she was proud of me. I told her to come back. Don't go…but she said she had to leave. I miss her, Squall and I never got to tell her that I love her…" She was sobbing uncontrollably now and he didn't really know what to do to comfort her.

After much thought and hesitations, Squall snuggled closer and stroked her hair gently. "You're not weak…and she…" He stopped in mid-sentence when he felt her gripped on his hand loosened. She had fallen asleep. Her breath coming out in soft wheezes as she breathed out. "And she probably knows that you love her." He finished.

* * *

a/n: This is totally a cliché but I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. (Duh! Obviously! lol) The story I think, well, is a bit weird and all 'cos it's sort of different from the original story. So…yeah. This is my first fanfic. Had a bit of trouble making sure everything turned out okay. Haiz…Hope all of you like it. And as usual… R/R! 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A Journey Never Forgotten

Chapter 2

* * *

Disclaimer: I've been doing some checkups on the story and have since corrected a few things. Realising that the second chapter is too short, I have decided to mix two chapters together. So for those who have read the story before I had done the corrections, I apologise for the mistakes.

The morning sun spread its warmth all over Balamb Garden and into the room of Rinoa Heartilly, waking her up from her deep slumber. Opening her eyes, she quickly closed them back again as sunlight reached her eyes, blinding her for a moment. She stretched her arms, working the kinks out of them. Rolling over to the side of the bed, she felt a dent in it and how unusually warm it felt considering she didn't sleep there.

"Squall was here last night. Oh, now I remember." She laughed to herself, smiling at last night's memories.

Selphie looked disgustedly at Zell who was trying to choke down three hotdogs at once. "Come on Zell, we don't want anybody dead here." She moaned. He gave her a glare and swallowed all three down, much to the amazement of Rinoa as she made her way to their table.

"Hah! I ain't chokin' one bit!" He smirked at her. Picking up another hotdog, his eyes suddenly bulged and his face turned blue. Selphie sighed. She looked at Irvine; a silent message being shared. Smirking, he went over to Zell and smacked him on the back. The slap was so loud, everybody in the cafeteria stopped to look at them when they heard the sound. Rinoa wince, thinking about how that must have hurt.

Zell's face distorted in pain as he swallowed the piece of hotdog that got stuck in his throat a while ago. He made a small whimpering noise, his back arched painfully as he tried with all his might not to shout out in pain. Rinoa ran to him, putting her hand on his back and did some magic on it, relieving the pain.

"Oh man, thanks Rinoa." He said, feeling relief. He turned to Irvine and Selphie. "You!" He pointed an accusing finger at them. "You're gonna pay, man!" He shot up from his seat, chasing after the duo who had already started to flee from the cafeteria, laughing their heads off. Quistis ate the last of her breakfast, shaking her head in disapproval. "Kids these days…" Rinoa heard her mutter.

A loud 'thump' was heard, silencing the whole area once more. Apparently, Zell had bumped into Squall when they were running around the corner. Squall frowned, his lips set in a thin line as he squinted and snatched away the hotdog that he was about to throw at Selphie and Irvine. Quistis could hear Rinoa giggling beside her as they watched how Zell scrambled away from him and continued chasing after the two best friends.

"Here, I saved some of these for you." Quistis pushed the plate of hotdog to Squall who had just arrived at their table.

"Poor Zell. I'll pack the leftovers and hand them to him." Rinoa said, pitying the boy with the weird tattoo. "Ah, well. Maybe you should. Handy stuff you did with his back. Got to go now. See you guys later." The older woman gathered her papers and left the place.

"Slept well?" Squall asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah…thanks again." She watched him reach for a hotdog. "Squall…we have to do something." He cocked his eyebrow at her. She lowered her voice. "Being a sorceress, having that kind of dream isn't something to be taken lightly. There's got to be some explanation on why they need help. Whoever they are."

"Help with what?" He questioned.

Rinoa brushed her hair back, feeling lost. "That's the problem. I don't know." She paused to think about the possibilities. "Insanity…could it be…"

"Rinoa!" She was interrupted when General Caraway approached them. "Having breakfast, I see." He inspected one hotdog before biting into it. Squall stood up to leave but he stopped him.

"Commander, don't need to leave just yet. Sit down." Squall hesitated before seating down again.

"What are you doing here?" Rinoa seethed.

"I'm just taking a look around the Garden." He looked at Rinoa who ignored him.

Standing up, she turned to Squall. "Well then, would you mind if you escort me to class, Commander?" Squall wasn't sure if he should follow her or have a chat with the General. Making up his mind, he took one last glance at the General and ran after Rinoa.

As soon as they were away from the cafeteria, Rinoa quickly let go of his hand and muttered an apology. He gave her a suspicious look. "Class doesn't start for another hour."

"Sir…" she began mildly. "I'm…a sorceress. Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Just yesterday she called me Squall, he thought irritably. "Rinoa, look. About what I said yesterday…"

"I'm dangerous." She interrupted quickly. "People like me…we kill people! We're a threat! We…we should be…eliminated. Like the others before me." She whispered the last part so softly that it was hardly audible. She felt so stressed out. Why hasn't he killed her yet?! Why is she still alive?

Without thinking, he grabbed her arm to stop her from trying to pull all her hair out.

"You're not dangerous. You're different." Something in his tone calmed her down. Soothed her frantic mind. "And that's why Cid trusted you." It had to be the tone. "I trust you." The sincerity in his voice and the honesty she saw in his penetrating deep blue eyes probably won her heart over and maybe of so many others.

"Sir…"

"Squall." He corrected. She smiled a small smile.

"Thank you…Squall."

"Don't think. Concentrate."

"People 'think' to concentrate." Selphie pointed out lamely. Irvine raised the brim of his hat slightly higher, sighing.

They were at the middle of the garden, sitting beside a fountain on which a chocobo stood. Irvine was teaching Selphie how to handle a rifle. But by the looks of it, it didn't seem like she got very far.

"You got a point." He wondered thoughtfully, earning a sigh from Selphie. He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"C'mon, nothin's impossible for you." Selphie smiled, tweaking his nose. He always could make her feel better. She picked up the rifle again and aimed it at her target. He noticed her hesitate before putting back down the rifle.

" But…" she frowned. "It's only a chocobo…"

"A stuffed chocobo. And a toy water gun." He reminded her. "Selphie, darlin'" He took of his hat and placed it atop her head. "If you're gonna be a cow gal', you gotta learn to shoot." She frowned harder. "Well then, I don't want to be a cowgirl." Selphie fiddled with the hat, looking up at him coyly. "I have my cowboy right here with me. And he isn't going anywhere 'cause I won't let him." She exclaimed happily, jumping up and down, making him laugh.

How was he able to get so lucky and meet her? She was always full of energy. Always brightening up the day with her bubbly personality no matter the mood. And the best thing was, she was his Selphie. His hyperactive sunshine. And nothing was going to take that away from him.

He grabbed her and placed her on his lap. "You're givin' me a headache."

"Am I?" Selphie kissed both his temples, making him smile at the sweet gesture.

"Better?"

"Much." He leaned back further in the bench. Yup, we really are meant for each other, he smiled inwardly.

"Where's Zell?" Rinoa checked her watch. She looked back up at the two guys and gave them the 'look'. "And you're late." Beside him, Squall didn't say anything. He scratched his head and replaced the hat back onto his head.

"We can't make it." Irvine answered. "But why? You promised! Today is my birthday."

Selphie argued. Irvine sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her but she pushed it away. "There's a mission, isn't it? But you're not a SeeD. And neither is Rinoa."

"His talents as a sharpshooter are needed in this mission. Cid's orders. We are to report at his office in three hours for the mission update." Squall explained. He glanced at the watch around Rinoa's wrist. "And both of you are included in this mission. So pack up. Zell's already in his room."

"Something sucks here, and I know it." Selphie muttered under her breath.

"Thank you all for coming in punctually." Cid said sarcastically as Zell came barging in through the door.

"The mission that was given to us is of high importance and the client has offered a high amount of money. As all of you know, Ultimecia is out there somewhere running around the country and causing lots of destruction. We are to capture Ultimecia and send her to Esthar to be sealed at the sorceress memorial."

"So where do I come in?" Rinoa asked casually. She felt a bit intimidated when he stared at her straight in the eye.

"I'm sure, Rinoa, that you and I very well know the importance of your role in this mission."

"Yes. But they don't." Squall and Selphie stiffened whereas Zell and Irvine had clueless looks on their faces.

"What is it that we don't know?" Zell asked.

"You'll know soon." Rinoa gave him a small smile as if to reassure herself but Squall could see the uneasiness in her eyes. She signalled to Cid to continue.

"Now, you will move out in two days. Quistis will be joining you. She has been briefed in this mission. Any questions?" Everybody shooked their heads.

"Very good then. Report here at noon tomorrow for the latest update on the mission.

Both Rinoa and Irvine will be excused from their lessons starting tomorrow until you are asked to resume studying. Dismissed." After making a crisp salute, they promptly left the office.

"What was that about?" Zell continued to ask Rinoa as they were making their way back to their respective rooms. Sighing, she laid an arm on his shoulder.

"Zell…and Irvine," she turned her gaze to the Galbadian. "When the time is right, you will know. I promise." She smiled at them and opened the door to her room. "Good night, everyone."

"Night Rinoa." Selphie said brightly then frowned at the guys as soon as her door was closed. "I suggest, you don't ask her any personal questions or anything concerning just now. She'll tell you when she's ready. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to catch up on lost sleep." Kissing Irvine on the cheek, she bid them goodnight and retreated to her own room.

The long-abandoned warehouse along the forested area near the car park was shuttered and dark, the noon sun unable to crack through the old slabs of wood and thick piles of walls that framed the walls. And in it, lay the Ragnarok.

Squall stood in the centre of the high-ceilinged chamber, his shoes resting on the damp floor, his back to the rundown door with eyes peering into the shadow. He turned his head when he heard the footsteps behind him and saw the rest of his teammates.

"Light wouldn't be such a bad idea." Quistis remarked dryly. "I always like to know what's in front of me."

"It's wartime," Irvine said, standing less than ten feet away. "You can't always get what you want."

"I came like I said I would." Zell said, totally missing the serious tones in his friends' voices. "At noon…and on time."

Squall stepped out of the shadows. "You also made mention of Ragnarok," he said. "And I don't happen to see one here, do you?"

"Hey guys," Rinoa stood in the middle of the doorway, blocking their only light source with her figure. "You'd start to look stupid if you continue looking for Ragnarok in this old warehouse." She chuckled, cocking her head to the side. "Come on, Selphie's already waiting outside for us. She's been giving it a test run all morning."

Squall took a deep breath, briefing himself on the mission details inside his head. He was broken from his train of thoughts when Selphie called out to him.

"Commander, seeking permission to land in Esthar. They want to talk to you." She handed him the radio.

"Clarify identity and purpose, over." The voice crackled over the radio.

"Commander Squall from Balamb Garden. We're here to see the president of Esthar regarding a mission requested by Cid. Over."

"Clarification accepted. Please proceed. Over and out." The crackling stopped once the radio was switched off.

"That went well." Selphie remarked from beside him.

"Too well." Squall agreed.

As soon as they got out of the cockpit, they saw a couple of man waiting for them at the end of the ramp.

"The name's Chris. Hope you have a nice stay here." In their handshake, Squall concluded that despite his lean figure, those arms could do serious damage.

"Thank you. These are my teammates." He waved at them. "Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Rinoa."

"Nice to see you all too. Lets not waste any more time. I'm sure the President would be waiting for us at this very moment. If you please," Chris stepped aside for the six of them to walk into the huge mansion first.

Smooth, very smooth. And polished, Rinoa mused silently. She smiled at Chris as she walked past him.

Opening the heavy mahogany doors, they saw a man seating at the far end of the table with another two tall at his sides. The man seating looked up as soon as he heard the door opening. Flipping his long hair back, he jumped up from his chair, startling even the two well-built man beside him.

"Welcome!" He grinned wildly, spreading his arms wide and hugged Squall. His usual stoic face betrayed a hint of surprise as he tried to wiggle out of the man's death grip.

"Call me Laguna. But of course, I wouldn't mind the sir's." He laughed. "Ah! You must be that Galbadian sharpshooter, Irvine." He went on to shake all of their hands and remarking about what they were well known for. But when he reached Rinoa, he stopped.

"And you…you remind me of someone." She smiled at him nervously.

"Uh…remind you of someone, sir? If it helps, sir…my name is Rinoa Heartilly." Stupid answer! She reprimanded herself angrily. He already knows your name!

"Heartilly…" He mused, his brows furrowed. But when she looked into his eyes, she could see the pain and sorrow it held. And love…a lost love. And there was also something that he was hiding from them. A secret of some sort that he's been wanting to tell since their arrival.

If Rinoa had tried a bit harder, she would have found out what kind of problems the president of Esthar was having. Reading people is something she had done ever since she was eight years old, old enough to understand people. It came naturally to her and she wondered if it was just one of her sorceress powers in the working.

"Sir…is there anything wrong?" She asked but they were interrupted when Squall spoke up.

"I hope we can cut down on the chit-chats but there is a mission going on here." He stressed.

"Commander Squall. Always the serious one eh?" He joked but then got into a serious mood as soon as all of them had taken a seat.

"I'm sure you know that Ultimecia is being considered a threat to the world." Laguna nodded as Squall spoke. "Our purpose here is to replenish our stock on necessity supplies and seek permission from the President to seal Ultimecia at the sorceress memorial."

"Yes, I'm sure that can be arranged. Some of my troops have been tracking her down and reports show that she is currently somewhere in an island called 'The Island Closest To Hell'. You probably know about the dangers of that island, so I guess Ultimecia thinks that would serve as a good hideout for the time being."

"What does she need a hideout for? She's a sorceress." Selphie asked.

"Injuries, hunger, she's tired. You have to understand, despite contrary beliefs, sorceress are humans just like us. The only extra thing is that they have powers. And they aren't superhuman either. They can get injured, just like us. Although they heal pretty fast."

"The thing about them is that all sorceress have knights. These knights pledged their loyalty and would risk their life for their sorceress before she offers hers. In legend, it says that the bond between the two is so strong, that they are inseparable and if anything were to happen to the other, he or she will suffer greatly. Most of the times in stories, it is a bond of love and friendship. A bond stronger than any else."

"Cid's wife was a sorceress. She changed somehow. Is that what you mean?" Rinoa suddenly looked up.

A surprise look appeared on Laguna's face but it disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

"Why yes. Not all sorceresses are bad, like what your friend here has brought to point. A sorceress and her knight compliment each other. Sometimes, a knight can save a sorceress from herself. But when both knight and sorceress hunger for power, then both of them will turn over to the dark side and may eventually cause their own deaths. I know that all these must sound quite complicated but I'm sure you understand as you go on." He stood up, signalling the end of the meeting.

"Thank you sir. We appreciate your help in this matter." Squall said formally as they shook hands.

"No, no, no. It's quite all right." He said brightly, turning into his self that greeted them half an hour ago. "Well, I must be going now. Have a nice stay everybody."

"We'll see you tomorrow sir." The room turned quite once Laguna left the area.

"So…" Irvine began, breaking the silence. "To get to Ultimecia, we have to get to the knight."

"But the only problem is, where is he?" Zell cut in.

"No, no, no. I think the question is, 'who' is the knight. And then everything'll fall into place." Quistis corrected.

"That's the first thing we have to find out." Squall pushed back his seat and stood up.

"Squall wait." Selphie stopped him, as he was about to exit the room. "Where's Rinoa?"

They didn't have to look far as they soon found her in the Ragnarok, going through the computers system.

"Whoa! I didn't realise you knew how to operate the Ragnarok. I mean, like me, Squall here took a couple of days to understand its functions and you took one day! I'm impressed." Selphie complimented, patting her back.

"Yeah well, I learn fast." Rinoa shrugged her thin shoulders.

"Too fast." Both of them laugh, agreeing.

"Where're the others?" She looked around here, seeing no signs of her teammates. Her gaze returned to Selphie who sat down beside her on the pilot's chair.

"They headed back to the mansion. Checking up on supplies and stuff I guess." She looked over Rinoa's shoulder. "So what have you been doing?"

"Nothing. Just looking around for more information about 'The Island Closest To Hell'." She waved her hand at the pile of books at one corner of the ship. "I've also been checking up on sorceress and I myself know about the legend that Laguna told us about. But there just isn't much about knights. I wonder if they have a library in there. Maybe we can find some books about them."

"You've been thinking. Very clever Rinoa." She smiled and looked at the mansion. "With a building like that, they probably have the whole of Balamb Garden in it." Selphie took a book and flipped through it. "Tell you what, we'll look for a library after dinner, okay?"

"You don't like the food?" Quistis asked they ate dinner together for the first time in the big mansion.

"No, nothing like that. It's very nice. I just…don't have any appetite." Rinoa set down her utensils and wiped her mouth with a cloth.

"What's wrong? I for sure know Zell has a huge appetite." She smiled at the sight of her friend stuffing his face with hotdog that was specially prepared for him.

"He has a bottomless stomach and a bladder the size of lake Michigan."

"Hey! I heard that!" Zell scolded, making both of them laugh.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Rinoa." Selphie said from beside her, placing her plate inside the sink and was currently fighting with the cook about washing the dishes.

"It's the cook's job to wash the plates Selphie. Don't make him lose his job." She winked at the cook who was muttering his thanks in French. "I got information on where we might find the library. Let's go already."

"Wait a minute, missies. 'Where do you think you're goin'?" Irvine stood at the entrance of the kitchen, blocking their way.

"None of you're business." Selphie said teasingly. "Now let us through."

"Password?" She rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I regretted creating that system but if it helps…" She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. Irvine was smiling throughout the whole process and god knows what the password was.

"Now you can go." He stepped aside, the smug look still evident on his face.

"Good. Now you and Quistis take care of Zell and the statue of liberty sitting at the corner of the table there. God knows what could happen." Selphie said, pulling Rinoa along with her.

Sneaking a glance at Squall, she laughed when she saw him frown a little at being called the 'statue of liberty'.

"Okay. The guy said go straight, take the turn to the left, go right on the turn up ahead, go up two stories and turn left again and …"

"Whoa! Wait a minute lady." Rinoa was cut off from her sentence when Selphie interrupted her. "I think you should repeat that again. Slowly." She stressed.

"Selphie! We've been through this a thousand times!" She exclaimed. "Okay, okay, go straight. You got that?" She took a deep breath as Selphie nodded her head.

"Turn left." She said in a very slow monotone tone.

"What? Turn left where? First turn or second turn?"

"Ookay…let's just…" She waved her arms wildly in the air. "You know, walk."

"Great idea Rinoa. Genius." Selphie remarked sarcastically. Rinoa was about to retort when they heard somebody laughing behind them.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard the both of you arguing. It's just that I find it intriguing how most of the time, it doesn't really affect their friendship when friends have these kinds of petty arguments."

"That's why they're friends." Rinoa concluded for the mysterious woman.

"My name is Ellone." The mysterious woman introduced herself as they shook hands.

"I'm Rinoa. My friend here is Selphie."

"Nice to meet you all. Oh, if you're wondering, I can show you the way to the library." Ellone suggested.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you." Selphie said excitedly making Ellone laugh.

"You're welcome. I work here, you see." The both of them walked alongside Ellone as they turned a corner.

"Laguna can be a funny man with the character of an eight year old kid. But when it gets down to business, he's very serious. But overall, he's a great guy. Though sometimes you need to stop him from doing certain things like jumping around too much or he may break a vase." She explained.

Rinoa was starting to like her already. And come to think of it, she sort of looks like someone familiar…

"Here we are." Ellone announced as they stopped in front of the library. "You're free to browse through. If you need any help you can call…"

"Squall!" Rinoa suddenly burst out.

"Excuse me?" Both Ellone and Selphie said at the same time.

"You look like Squall. Doesn't she?" She asked Selphie who immediately started to peer closely at their newfound friend.

"I don't know about that, Rinoa. I'm not very good in recognising similarities." Selphie shrugged.

"You mean Squall? 'The' Squall Leonhart?" Ellone asked. Rinoa blinked.

"You know him?"

"Sort of…it's a long story. Uh…is he here?"

"The last time we saw him was in the kitchen. Knowing him, he probably went back to the Ragnarok."

"Oh…okay then. I'll take my leave now. Call me if you ever need anything."

"Sure. And thanks." She said as Ellone went back down the stairs.

"Selphie, look at this. I think I found it." Rinoa showed her an old leather bounded book. With considerable care, she opened the book and blew away the dust that covered the pages.

"Must be quite old." Selphie remarked, waving away the cloud of dust.

"Knights," Rinoa began, cutting off any future conversations. "are well known in fairy tales to save and marry the princess. But fairy tales are made believe stories. The truth is, knights do exist. But not as princess saving human beings whose only purpose is to marry someone of royalty, but "

"Stop here. I'm convinced it's the book we need." Selphie said, nodding her head.

Going back to the kitchen, they didn't see anybody else save for the cook. It turned out that the others had returned to their respective rooms about an hour ago.

"It doesn't hurt to turn in at this time, huh? After all, it's already midnight." Rinoa suggested.

"Yeah. I've been wanting to see how big the beds are in the guests room." Selphie said excitedly.

After many wrong turns and dead ends, they finally managed to get to their rooms with a little help from the cook who was about to turn in for the day. Biding goodnight to Rinoa, Selphie entered her room and closed the door behind her, leaving her friend all by herself.

Moving to the room next to Selphie's, Rinoa was about to turn the doorknob when she heard a conversation going on in a room across from hers. Though she knew that eavesdropping was frowned upon, she couldn't help but let her curiosity get the better of her. She silently tip toed to the room and peeked through a crack along the doorframe where the owner had not closed the door properly.

What she saw was definitely far from what she had expected to find. There, in the room was Squall and the woman who had so kindly helped Rinoa and Selphie find the library. They were hugging each other tightly and on Squall's usual emotionless feature was a small smile. She could have stared at him forever at that very moment. He should smile more often, no matter how small and unnoticeable the smile may be.

Her grip on the old book unconsciously tightened and she immediately backed away from the door, suddenly feeling guilty for having intruded on an intimate moment. But with it came a wave of jealousy.

"What am I thinking? It's not like his my boyfriend or anything…" She thought out loud, leaning against the doorframe of her room as soon as she had closed it, brushing back a lock of hair behind her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the thoughts about Squall and the woman named Ellone. Who was she and what is her relationship with Squall?

Opening her eyes again, she averted her gaze to the book which she had took from the library. "I guess there's no harm in reading a bit before sleeping." Rinoa sat on the king-sized bed and leaned back on the feather-soft pillows. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly opened the book and started reading from where she left off.

* * *

a/n: Hmm…have any of you noticed that Rinoa is giggling too much? Chapter two! Got six chapters ready but no time to upload yet at the moment. School's starting tomorrow and I've gotta sleep early. Yeah! Heheh…

Just want to say thank you to 'Rebellious Princess' and 'Leonblade' for being my first two reviewers. Your words have encouraged me and helped me realise my mistakes. Lots of love people!


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